Filmmaker takes aim at Cartel’ of education

Dana Barbuto

Friday

Apr 30, 2010 at 12:01 AMApr 30, 2010 at 12:17 AM

Journalist-turned-documentarian Bob Bowdon saw something very wrong with the New Jersey public education system. More than $400,000 of public money was earmarked for each classroom, yet an alarming rate of students were not proficient in reading or math.

Journalist-turned-documentarian Bob Bowdon saw something very wrong with the New Jersey public education system. More than $400,000 of public money was earmarked for each classroom, yet an alarming rate of students were not proficient in reading or math.

Once he dug deeper, Bowdon found a flawed system that embraced cronyism, squandered money and frowned upon alternative education options such as charter schools. Bowdon spent three years pointing his camera at New Jersey administrators, teachers, unions, students and parents and the result is the documentary “The Cartel,” opening at Kendall Square in Cambridge today. The film focuses on his home state of New Jersey, but Bowdon assures it is a case study likely evident across the country. As the film points out, in 12 percent of U.S. schools, less than 60 percent of freshmen make it to senior year.

Q: Did you ever think you’d be a documentary filmmaker?

A: Well, it wasn’t some sort of lifelong dream. I got a film certificate from New York University, but it really wasn’t to become a filmmaker. This issue wasn’t well covered by traditional media. Education is an emerging national disaster and that story needed long-form treatment.

Q: How does a film like this make money?

I’m not sure it does. What people tell me is that down the road the DVD sales will be the way it makes money, but that’s a little premature right now. It’s a documentary film. It’s not going to be “Avatar.” You don’t get into this business to make money. If your goal is to make money and you pick documentaries, well, then, you’re bad at math. Unless, of course, you’re Michael Moore.

Q: Would you call “The Cartel” a success?

A: It’s getting a national theatrical release, so for a guy who just bought a camera and some lights, yeah, I think it is. Also, in the sense that it’s changing public opinion. People tell me that they never knew how much money disappeared in contracts, administration and patronage jobs. The more meaningful success is changing people’s mind-set.

Q: Do you have kids?

A: No. I approached this as a journalist. ... You and I will end up paying for those who don’t get a good education. We all pay for dysfunctional schools.

Q: Why did you pick education as the focus of your film?

A: It’s the least covered and most important story in America. These children are a constituency with no powerful advocate, especially these poorer children. These kids have no power and I wanted to advocate for them. It’s a moral thing. They are being used by other people that ask ‘how can you deny us another billion?’ This is for the kids.

Q: What’s your background in education?

A: During different parts of my career I covered education stories. I was profoundly affected by a tenure story. It is the stupidest thing in the world that after three years and a day you could never be fired. And the other side says if you’re not for that, then you must hate teachers and children. That sounds so Third World to me. The whole construct of that occurred to me as self-serving on the people issuing that and borderline criminal for the students trapped with one of those bad teachers.

Q: What were some of the challenges you faced?

A: It’s not easy to get into the schools. The schools that have the most to hide are the hardest ones to get into. You have to fight to be seen. That’s why I have three years of footage.

Q: What kind of reaction are you getting?

A: I’ve been asked by some people to come and do what I did in New Jersey for them. ‘We’ll pay you money to come do it here ...” I’ve got two possible career paths: I can be the documentary guy or the education guy and write a book and report on more education stories.

Q: Why should people go see “The Cartel?”

A: Everyone relates to this because everyone went to school. I didn’t see anyone who was watching this movie walk out of the theater blasé. I think the movie is much more powerful with an audience. It has a town hall meeting quality to the collective viewing of the film. It’s a real communal experience.

Q: Can public education be fixed?

A: Yes. All you need to do is let school’s compete to bring the kids there. School choice is a simple concept.

Reach Dana Barbuto at dbarbuto@ledger.com.

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